Action alerts

April 04, 2008

ACTION ALERT ONE

National Olympic Committees will meet in Beijing from April 7th to 9th, and with the IOC's Executive Board on April 10th. This is an excellent opportunity to build pressure on the IOC to withdraw the torch from Tibet.

In the IOC's response to ITSN member organizations' request to withdraw Tibet from the torch relay route, the IOC stated that "The Olympic Torch is a symbol which inspires people from all over the world to overcome their differences and come together in mutual understanding in anticipation of the Games which it heralds. The IOC's expectation is that the 2008 torch relay will go ahead as planned."

China's brutal crackdown in Tibet and its vicious attacks on the Dalai Lama over the last three weeks are the antithesis of "overcoming differences" and "coming together in mutual understanding." For the IOC to cite these ideals given what is happening in Tibet right now is a travesty. We are asking all Tibet supporters to communicate with our National Olympic Committee to make sure that by the time they meet with the IOC on April 10th, dozens of NOCs will realize the torch relay through Tibet is an issue they need to respond to and will raise their concerns with the IOC.

Contact information for Canada’s National Olympic Committee is

21 St. Clair Ave. East

Suite 900

Toronto, ON M4T 1L9

Tel: 416.962.0262

Fax: 416.967.4902

Email: webmaster@olympic.ca

1) Sample Petition Text

This can be formatted and printed out as a hard copy. Please make sure that this is couriered and/or faxed to the NOC by April 10th. Suggestions for getting signatures:

- Ask family, friends and co-workers to sign

- Bring the petition to any protests, vigils, or other events that you hold. Ask participants and passersby to sign

- Set up a table in a high-traffic area in your city, with eye-catching visuals like a Tibetan flag, and ask people to sign

“We, the undersigned, are deeply concerned that the International Olympic

Committee and the organizers of the Beijing 2008 Olympics are continuing with plans to carry the Olympic torch through Tibet despite the recent widespread protests and the current military crackdown in Tibet. Reports from Tibet indicate that the Chinese authorities have arrested hundreds of Tibetans since March 10th, 2008, and killed 140 people. It is unthinkable that the Olympic torch could be paraded through Tibet when the entire region is on military lockdown and the population is being brutally suppressed. Furthermore, carrying the torch through Tibet in this tense climate is likely to provoke more protests and another heavy handed response from the Chinese authorities, leading to further imprisonment, torture, and even loss of life for Tibetans. Almost 1.5 million people worldwide have taken action online in support of Tibet since March 10th. Citizens around the world are looking to National Olympic Committees for leadership to ensure that the Olympic values are not irreparably tarnished in the upcoming Games. When you meet with the International Olympic Committee Executive Board on April 10th, please ensure that all Tibetan areas, including the Tibet Autonomous Region and Tibetan areas of Qinghai, Sichuan, Yunnan, and Gansu, are withdrawn from the Beijing Olympic Torch Relay route.

Thank you.”

NAME ADDRESS SIGNATURE

2) Talking Points for Emails, Faxes, or Phone Calls

A few days ago, the Olympic Torch arrived in Beijing on its so-called “Journey of Harmony.” In just a few weeks, the Chinese government plans to carry the torch through Tibet in a show of control over Tibet’s land and people. For Tibetans inside Tibet, the situation is far from harmonious as they continue to resist the Chinese government's brutal military crackdown. We are asking you to take action today to tell the International Olympic Committee, "No torch in Tibet!"

Please contact our National Olympic Committee (NOC) today and ask them to urge the International Olympic Committee to immediately remove Tibet from the Torch Relay Route. Please take action in the next few days, as the National Olympic Committees will be meeting together in Beijing from 7 – 9 April.

- Express your concern that the International Olympic Committee still plans to carry the Olympic Torch through Tibetan areas, despite the current protests and crackdown in Tibet.

- Explain that there is a strong likelihood that if the torch is carried through

Tibet, it will become a focus for further unrest, which would result in another heavy handed crackdown and more Tibetans facing further suffering, imprisonment, torture and possible loss of life. Therefore, on humanitarian grounds alone, it is unthinkable that the torch relay pass through greater Tibet at this time.

- Celebrating China’s Olympic Torch and its so-called “Journey of Harmony” in

Tibet whilst the Tibetan people have been crushed by China's military forces is an abomination that must be stopped.

- Request that the NOC President discuss these concerns with other National

Olympic Committees in Beijing and urge the International Olympic Committee to withdraw all Tibetan areas from the torch relay route at the upcoming meeting between the IOC Executive Board and National Olympic Committees on April 10th in Beijing.

Thank you for taking action!

ACTION ALERT TWO

Take action now to urge Olympic leaders to withdraw Tibet from China's Olympic Torch Relay!

The leaders of the Olympic Movement around the world will meet together in Beijing next week, as the Olympic Torch travels around the globe on its so-called "Journey of Harmony." In just a few weeks, the Chinese government plans to carry the torch through Tibet in a show of control over Tibet's land and people.

Inside Tibet, hundreds of Tibetans are being rounded up in house-to-house searches and imprisoned, and the entire region remains under military lockdown. In this tense climate, it is likely that parading the torch through Tibet and up Mount Everest will be seen by Tibetans as a provocation and lead to more unrest, arrests and repression.

The Association of National Olympic Committees will bring together more than 200 National Olympic Committees from around the world next week before they meet with the International Olympic Committee's Executive Board on April 10th. This gives us an important opportunity to ask them to take leadership in defense of the Olympic ideals and urge the IOC to withdraw Tibet from the Olympic torch relay route.